This month's message is a very personal one that I share with my closest friends and colleagues.   The message was originally given by Shannon Spaunburg.  It is a message that has been kept close to me for many years and stuffed in the pocket of my Day-Timer; eventually it was folded neatly and put away in my special box for safe keeping.  When needed, I pull it out and I am uplifted and reminded of all the wonderful experiences and people in my life.  This is what IFMA is all about; getting to know people first and sharing business cards with friends.  What follows is the message with a sprinkling of IFMA thoughts throughout which gives you a glimpse of my wonderful experience this past year.

Life is a journey filled with lessons, hardships, heartaches, joys, celebrations and special moments that will ultimately lead us to our destination, our purpose in life. The road will not always be smooth; in fact, throughout our travels, we will encounter many challenges.  As a member of IFMA for twelve years, I have been on a journey with many of you and my life will be forever changed based on events of this past year.  What an honor to be president of this amazing chapter!

Some challenges will test our courage, strengths, weaknesses, and faith. Along the way, we may stumble upon obstacles that will come between the paths that we are destined to take. In order to follow the right path, we must overcome these obstacles. Sometimes these obstacles are really blessings in disguise, only we don't realize that at the time.

Along our journey we will be confronted with many situations, some will be filled with joy, and some will be filled with heartache. How we react to what we are faced with determines what kind of outcome the rest of our journey through life will be like.  I have grown personally and professionally with IFMA.  My mentors come from this association and they know I have dialed their numbers more than once this year.

When things don't always go our way, we have two choices. We can focus on the fact that things didn't go how we had hoped they would and let life pass us by, or two, we can make the best out of the situation and know that these are only temporary setbacks and find the lessons that are to be learned. Not everything I set to accomplish to do got accomplished, but we've had a very productive year that placed the Atlanta Chapter on the map with IFMA. 

The people that we meet on our journey are people that we are destined to meet. Everybody comes into our lives for some reason or another and we don't always know their purpose until it is too late. They all play some kind of role. Some may stay for a lifetime; others may only stay for a short while.

It is often the people who stay for only a short time which end up making a lasting impression not only in our lives, but in our hearts as well. Although we may not realize it at the time, they will make a difference and change our lives in a way we never could imagine. To think that one person can have such a profound effect on your life forever is truly a blessing. It is because of these encounters that we learn some of life's best lessons and sometimes we even learn a little bit about ourselves. 

It's these things that will give us strength to continue on our journey. We know that we can always look back on those times of our past and know that because of that one individual, we are who we are and we can remember the wonderful moments that we have shared with that person.

Memories are priceless treasures that we can cherish forever in our hearts. There have been so many incredible memories this year with each of you - World Workplace, meeting you for breakfast, seeing you at lunch and in committee meetings.  These memories remind each of us to continue on with our journey for whatever life has in store for us. Sometimes all it takes is one special person to help us look inside ourselves and find a whole different person that we never knew existed. Thank you, Joanne Cole, for looking inside me and holding up the mirror when I needed it.  Our eyes are suddenly opened to a world we never knew existed - a world where time is so precious and moments never seem to last long enough.

Throughout this adventure, people will give you advice and insights on how to live your life but when it all comes down to it, you must always do what you feel is right. Always follow your heart, and most importantly never have any regrets. Don't hold anything back. Say what you want to say, and do what you want to do, because sometimes we don't get a second chance to say or do what we should have the first time around.

It is often said that what doesn't kill you will make you stronger. It all depends on how one defines the word "strong".  It can have different meanings to different people. In this sense, "stronger" means looking back at the person you were and comparing it to the person you have become today. It also means looking deep into your soul and realizing that the person you are today couldn't exist if it weren't for the things that have happened in the past or for the people that you have encountered. Everything that happens in our life happens for a reason and sometimes that means we must face our own fears in order to experience new joys.

Congratulations to Karen Howard, who will carry on her journey as your president beginning July 1, 2010.

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-- Christy 

Luncheon Fees

Starting in July, the price it costs to attend an IFMA luncheon will be going up by $10.   The cost of hosting these events has gone up, and the new rates will cover those costs.  Here are the new rates: 

$45 for members (in advance) 

$55 for guests (in advance) 

$65 at the door (for everybody) 

Topic:

Energy Savings for FMs

Date: June 28 

Time: 9am - 12pm

Location: Energy Ace